News

50-foot cellphone tower near BWCA will be allowed

Photo: Comstock, Photos.com

Aug 22, 2012 at 7:08 am

ST. PAUL, MN (AP) - A 450-foot cellphone tower with flashing lights that would be seen from parts of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness will be allowed to go forward, after the Supreme Court denied a request to hear the case.

The high court's decision means a June ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which allows the tower, will stand.

The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness had wanted to block the tower proposed by AT&T Mobility, saying its location atop a ridge near Ely would make it visible from 10 lakes within the protected area. The group had argued that a smaller tower without lights would provide sufficient coverage.

The BWCA covers more than 1 million acres in northeastern Minnesota.